West Somerset Railway, Minehead

I grew up in West Somerset, so the steam trains roaring past and the 'Toot-toot!' of the whistles were part of my childhood, but one of those things we didn't really do as locals. As a student I moved out of the area, and now I've got kids it is a 'must-do' activity with them when visiting my parents in Somerset. We normally catch the train from Williton and travel to Minehead, spend an afternoon in the town or on the beach before heading back to Williton. At Williton, there is free carparking right next to the station entrance, toilets (allbeit, very Victorian!) and a snack bar for your convenience. The fares are reasonable and the staff always very helpful and chatty to my children. When my daughter was still in a buggy, the conductor was very helpful pointing me towards the carriage where I could leave her pram before taking our seats, and helping us on and off the train. The scenery is breathtaking (something else I must have missed growing up in it all!) as the trains run right along the coast in parts, so there is always plenty to see with the sea out of one window, wildlife, quaint cottages and farm animals out of the other. Refreshments are available on the train, and I believe toilets although we always waited until Minehead to use the ones on the station platform there. If you can (and I believe this is THE BEST) time to travel on the West Somerset Railway - try to book on the Santa Express at Christmas. We went on Christmas Eve 2010 - a rareity for this neck of the woods was a white Christmas which added to the whole seasonal feeling. The atmosphere on the train was fantastic. You are given a little glass of sherry and a mince pie (juice for the kiddies and some sweets) so even Daddy smiled. The staff just make it so magical for the kids - wonderful given that they are all volunteers. Father Christmas makes his way down the train to dish out presents and talk to the kids (he genuinely showed an interest in all of the children and talked to each and every one of them) which as you can imagine is just the best thing EVER for a 4 year old! Only drawback was I was in the process of potty training my two year old, and when I asked about the toilets I was informed that they 'weren't really working' (turned out the pipes were frozen because of the snow and ice) and could only be used 'in an emergency'. Needless to say, my two year old 'had' to go in the middle of the journey so she had to pee on a pile of urine soaked toilet paper - but in my book it was an emergency so needs must! I seem to recall it was 64.00 for 2 adults, 2 OAPs and 2 children to do the whole thing, and I would most definitely do it again next year if we were down there for Christmas.

For the last two years I have taken my toddler to the special Days Out With Thomas weekend and had a great time. Check the website for exact details on the day, and times, but get there as early as you can to make sure you do it all. This year we paid to enter and everything was then free including: a ride on Thomas from Minehead Station, over the road crossing and alongside Butlins - not far but very exciting, and you can do it as many times as you like; DVDs playing of Thomas episodes; toys in a carriage to play with; punch and judy show; children's entertainer; engines working shunting trucks and using the turn table; meeting the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt and Mrs Kydley; free bus rides around the town - as many times as you like including an open top or one that looks like Bulgy. There are buggy parks set up too. You can book to ride in from another station (check for prices), and once you've got your ticket you can leave the station and return again later. All in all a great day out for everyone and one very happy toddler :0)

The WSR is a great way to spend the day! You see some wonderful views of the countryside, ideal for budding photographers. There is plenty to see along the route and plenty of nice villages and places to jump off and visit. The main station has a great second hand book shop too! I must go back again soon!

It was a sunny day and we decided to risk taking our 9 month old baby on the West Somerset Railway. We were filled with trepidation as we were unsure whether she would get bored and scream the place down. We needn't have worried as she absolutely loved it. We started the journey at Washford, which was a small village near Minehead. The station was picture perfect and had a shop and museum. I attempted to buy tickets at the station but had to wait for the lady to finish reading her book before she told me I needed to buy them on the train! We caught the diesel engine to Bishop Lydeard which took about an hour and journeyed through beautiful countryside with lots of animal/bird life for our daughter to enjoy. Once at our destination, we had an hour to wait before going back so we walked to the nearby childrens park. There was also toilets, baby changing facilities and a shop at the station. On our return we caught the steam train which was far superior to the Diesel engine and benefited from toilets and a buffet car. We all thoroughly enjoyed the day out, although it is not cheap (It cost us £13 each return for an adult, although the baby was free), but we did think it was great value for money.